Disposable diapers have gained widespread acceptance by consumers because of their convenience and performance. However, a source of inconvenience has been disposal of the soiled diapers. Most households have municipal garbage pick-up about once a week and soiled diapers consequently accumulate in the garbage for several days, sometimes causing an undesirable odor. In addition, there has been some concern expressed regarding the contribution of disposable diapers to the growing shortage of landfill space.
One possible solution to these concerns would be a flushable diaper. It is currently possible to provide a disposable diaper with a removable absorbent pad which, when soiled, can be flushed down the toilet. Such a product design can eliminate the odor problem associated with accumulating soiled diapers and also lessens the burden on landfill waste sites. An example of such a diaper is described in commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 07/816,457 entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article With Flushable Insert" and filed Dec. 31, 1991 in the names of T. H. Roessler, A. Cesco-Cancion, D. Endres, and P. M. Hanson, which is herein incorporated by reference. Other examples of diapers with flushable portions include U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,466 to H. J. Ralph and U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,857 to C. Osborn. In general, diapers with flushable inserts have the same basic components as regular disposable diapers including, without limitation, a liquid impervious backsheet, a liquid pervious bodyside liner, and an absorbent composite material, which can be in the form of a removable absorbent pad, disposed between the bodyside liner and the backsheet. The manner in which the absorbent pad is attached to or removed from the diaper may vary.
However, flushing an absorbent pad can cause difficulties due to the large mass of superabsorbent and fibers necessary for proper performance of the absorbent pad. Therefore, there is a need for an absorbent composite which reduces the risk of plugging a toilet when flushed down the drain.